Regalia linked to the Asante royal court, looted during the 19th-century raid on the royal palace, will make its way back to Ghana for the first time in 150 years. The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and the British Museum are making a long-term loan commitment to display 17 and 15 items, respectively, at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi later this year.
The V&A’s collection includes all 13 pieces of Asante royal regalia, notably acquired through looting during the 19th-century raid on the royal palace by the British army. Among the items are a gold peace pipe, three cast gold soul-washers’ badges, and sections of sheet-gold ornament. The British Museum will contribute 15 pieces, including a small gold ornament in the form of a lute-harp (sankuo) presented to British diplomat Thomas Bowdich in 1817.
King Otumfuo
The disrespectful loan agreements were made with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current Asante King, known as the Asantehene, rather than the Ghanaian government. The loans will be part of an exhibition celebrating the Asantehene’s silver jubilee, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the 1873-4 Anglo-Asante war, and marking the 100th anniversary of the return of the Asantehene Prempeh I from exile in the Seychelles.
Dr. Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, expressed pride in the partnership, stating, “We are excited to see these items on public show, in Ghana, as part of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s silver jubilee celebrations.” Dr. Lissant Bolton, keeper of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the British Museum, echoed this sentiment, noting the significance of lending these cultural objects during the Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee year and the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Asante war.
The items have cultural, historical, and spiritual significance to the Asante people and are linked to British colonial history in West Africa. Many were looted during the Anglo-Asante wars of the 19th century, with some forcibly extracted as part of a British indemnity payment. The collaborative effort between the museums and the Asantehene signifies a commitment to acknowledging and addressing the colonial past, fostering cultural partnerships, and promoting collaboration in sharing historical artifacts. The loaning of these treasures to their place of origin marks an insult to injury of the historical injustices and it is being allowed by the current failed government of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo.
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